I was the schmoosher

This weekend Dave, my little sister Kate, and I all went to Idaho Falls to take part in the Fager Family Second Annual Applesauce Making Party... aka FFSAAMP. It all started when last year my mom told me that my Aunt Kirsten had all the apples we would need to make as much applesauce as we wanted. We just had to pick, clean, cut, steam, schmoosh, and process. When we started last year, we got 30-ish quarts out of the deal and I thought that was a lot... this year, we blew that record out of the water! We totaled over 85 quarts of gorgeous applesauce. This was a labor intensive activity that involved my whole family (with the exception of my sister Jenn who is stayed in Utah to plan her wedding). We spent literally eight solid hours getting all this done and I loved every minute of it. My mom was right when she said she will have good memories every time she eats applesauce. I will do the same. Each time I open a jar a flood of memories will run out. I will think of my dad who washed dish after dish and jar after jar. How he secretly cleaned our "stations" whenever he could, and used his spare moments to help cut apples. I will think of my mom who had the know how and the energy to run the whole charade. How every time the door opened between the kitchen and garage, it was her running jars and apples in and out. Adding water to the steamer or the processor and encouraging us all the while. I will think of Dave sacrificing precious study time to be with my brothers all of whom helped by turning the crank on the Victorio Press to turn the hot, boiled apples into sweet, pink, applesauce. I will think of my sister Katie who cut hundreds of apples and literally ate herself sick while doing so. I will the of my brother David who actually came to spend time helping me do something he wasn't particularly fond of, and sticking with it! It meant more than he will probably ever realize. I will think of my cheerful brother Ben who delicately cut the worms and bruises out of the apples and actually liked the job! Each jar of applesauce will be savored; the taste and the memories will be sweet. I can't remember the last time we had such a precious family gathering void of ANY contention, and involving EVERYONE. It's one of those memories I can rely on to always bring warmth into my heart and joy into my thoughts. Ben washing some apples
From left to right: Katie, Me, Dave, David
My dad and Katie cutting apples. This is what would get so messy that my dad would clean up for us. He even washed the knives a NUMBER of times.
Dave... not sure what he is doing here... but he sure is handsome!
My mom cleaning the filled jars before they went into the processor. David cranking the Victorio Press. Me making sure the applesauce was all the right consistency, and putting into quart jars.

The people who made it all happen...